Automatic windmill attachment



m5 Model.) 3 ShetsSheet 1..

M. OPPENHEIMER. AUTOMATIC WINDMILL ATTACHMENT.

Patented Feb, 8, 1887.

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N. PETERS, PlwtlrLilhognphcr. W nn-mm n c. v

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. M. 'OPPENHEIMER. AUTOMATIC WIND MILL ATTACHMENT.

No. 357,288. A Patented Febf8, 1887.

m. Pcrsns, PhomI-ikhogrzphor, Washington. a, c.

3 Sheets-Sheet 31 (No Model.)

M. OPPENHEIMER. AUTOMATIC WINDMILL ATTACHMENT.

Patented-Feb. 8, 1 887.

Nv PETERS, Phokrulhngnpher. Washinglon, D. Q

minesses;

' UNITED STATES PATENT Erica. I

MILTON OPPENHEIMER, OF SHENANDOAH, IO WVA.

AUTOMATIC WINDMILL ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,288, dated February 8, 1887.

Application filed April 22,1886. Serial No. 199,806. (No mcdell 15 and lowering of a float resting upon the water in the tank, acting in conjunction with suitable connections with theshifting devices and pump-plunger.

My invention consists of a vertically-sliding rack-bar or sleeve, connected by cable,

rod, or otherwise with the shifting or governing devices of the mill, a pivoted lever connected with and operated by the pump-plunger, having double pawls near its end, which g engage the racks of the sleeve and force the same down, and a spring-actuated lever-keyed to the guide-bar,upon which the sleeve slides, and connected by cord or wire with the float in the tank. p

The object designed to be accomplished by this invention is the automatic starting of the wheel when the tank needs refilling and the stopping of the same when said tank is full, so that the mill is only in operation when re- 3 5 quired for pumping.

Various forms of apparatus or attachments have been devised for automatically regulating pumping-windmills by the movement of afloat in the water-tank acting through suit- .a o able connections with the governor or shifting devices of the-mill and pump-plunger; but these attachments have usually been so complicated as tobe incapable of accomplishin g the object sought, or soon got out of order and 5 became inoperative. An' important point, therefore, in the present instance is the simplicity of construction andoperation and fewness of parts'composing the same, whereby there is little or no liability of the device be- 50 coming easily disordered.

For a better understanding of the details of as in the wind, the governor or shifting de-' vices down out of action, and the sleeve of the regulator as at the top of its movement. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the wheel as out of thewind, with the shifting devices raised and the sleeve of the regulator as at the bottom of its movement. Fig. 3 is a detached sectional view, in front elevation, of my improved attachment, the parts being in the positions shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view in side elevation, showing the position of the regulating attachment at the commencement of the movement or action thereof, the position of the wind-wheel, 820., being as in Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 represent vertical and transverse sectional views, respectively, through the sliding sleeve and its actuating lever and pawls. Fig. 7 is a similar view to Fig. 4, showing the sleeve as at the bottom of its movement, and retained in this position by the spring-catch when the governor or shifting devices are brought into action and the wheel thereby thrown out of the Wind, as in Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a plan View showing the relative positions of the parts of the regulating attachment when the water in the tank has been exhausted, the float being at the bottom ofthe tank, and the lever to which it is connected drawn to one side, with the sleeve correspondingly turned, so as to avoid the spring-catch and thereby permit the counterpoise-weight of the governor to drop down, thus throwing the vane around in position and bringing the wheel into the wind, as in Fig. 1, and the sleeve at the top of its movement ready to be again engaged by the pawls. Fig. 9 is a similar view illustrating the same parts in their relative positions when the float is in its elevated position, as in Fig. 1.

A A is the usual or any approved form of supporting frame-work for the mill, to the top of which are mounted the wind-wheel B and its usual appurtenances, such as the hinged vane G and pivoted and weighted shifting device or governor 1), connected by the crank and link (i to and operating the vane G, for the purposes as will hereinafter more fully appear.

E is the wire cable or rod connecting the governor with the regulating attachment situated at the lower part of the frame.

F is the pnmp-plunger, operated in the usual manner by the crankshaft of the wind-wheel.

The regulator is composed of a rack bar or sleeve, S, mounted and sliding upon a square rod, R, secured in brackets c c to a support, A, of the frame A. This sleeve is formed upon each of its edges with a series of teeth or racks, a and a, which are engaged by spring-pawls d and d, Fig. 5, mounted at one end of a lever, H, which lever is pivoted, as at 7?, within a bracket, I, also secured upon the frame A, and it is of such length as to extend laterally from said bracket I and engage the pump-plunger F, as seen at f, by which motion is imparted thereto.

As before stated, the rod R, upon which the rack-sleeve S is mounted, is square and fits a square opening in the sleeve, as shown in Fig. 6, so that the sleeve cannot turn upon the rod. This rod, however, is permitted to turn in its brackets or supports 0 by the movement of a lever, J, keyed to the top thereof, which lever in turn is connected by a cord or wire, j, with the float J in the tank'T, and by the rising or falling of which float the said lever is operated, as will hereinafter appear.

K is a reacting spring attached at one of its ends to the top endotthe rod It, and at its other end pressing against the bracket 0, whereby the said rod, when drawn around by the lever J, which tends to coil the spring, is returned to its normal position by the resistance of said spring. Upon the rear edge of the rack (t, and upon the front edge of the rack a, Fig. 6, are formed shoulders 1 and 2,rcspectively,whereby the turning of the sleeve as well as rod is prevented so long as the pawls are engaged with said racks; but to permit the passage of the sleeve past the pawls the top portion of the sleeve is made round or free from shoulders, as seen at a'-, Fig. 3, so that the said sleeve can only be turned around to throw the pawls out of position when at the bottom of its movement, when the pawls will be beyond the racks and upon the round part, as seen in Fig. 7.

M is a spring-catch, Figs. *i and 7, which, when the sleeve is at the bottom of its travel, engages over a projection or catch, at, formed on the bottom end of the sleeve, whereby the said sleeve is held down at the end of its lower movement, from which position it can only be released by the turning of the said sleeve, so as to bring the projection m out of contact with the catch, and thereby permit the sleeve to assume its elevated position.

The operation is as follows: Supposing the tank to be empty, the float will be at the bottom thereof, with the lever J drawn around and the sleeve S at the top of the rod R, and partially turned around, as shown in Fig. 8. The governor D will also be down and out of action, but the vane C will be around in position so as to shift the wheel into the wind. The said wheel will therefore now begin to revolve, and through its crank-shaft operate the pump-plunger F and commence pumping and refilling'the tank. The plunger being connected with the outer end of the lever H, said lever is broughtinto play and thespringpawls d d at its opposite end alternately raised and depressed. As before stated, the sleeve S will be at the top of the rod R and partially turned around, sov that the pawls d d will rest upon the shouldered or smooth portion 8 and 3, and do not engage the racks a and a, so that at first there is no action or movement of the sleeve, which remains idle until the water begins to fill the tank and raise the float upward, when, the resilience of the spring K acting upon the rod B, said rod, together with the sleeve S, is brought gradually around into its normal position, when the pawls will drop int-o the racks and the operation of depressing the sleeve will now he eommenced, as seen in Figs. 3 and 5. The tension of the spring K is only just sufficient to return the lever J and sleeve 8 back to their normal position, as in Fig. 9, when the weight of the float is taken therefrom, so that said spring cannot act until the water as it enters the tank acts to raise the float and take the weight thereof from the spring, when the parts may return to their normal position. The length of the sleeve also and the racks thereon is such relatively to the movement of the shifting devices or governor that when the governor is elevated to the proper position to bring the vane around, and thereby cause the wheel to come into the wind, the said sleeve will be at the bottom of its path and the pawls at the last tooth of the rack, and when the governor is down the sleeve will be elevated, with the pawls opposite the lower notches in the rack. Supposing, now, that sufficient water has entered the tank to raise the float up and permit the turning of the sleeve back to its right position, as in Fig. 9, for the engagement of the pawls with its racks, then, as seen in Fig. 3, the said pawls by their action immediately commence to depress the sleeve, and through the cord or rod E, which is attached at one end to the governor and at the other to the said sleeve, as seen at I, Fig. 4, the said governor is acted upon and drawn upward in position, and through it the vane is brought around so as to shift the wheel out of the wind and cause its movement to cease, this being accomplished by the time the pawls are at the top of the rack, and the shoulder or stop on of the sleeve has engaged the springcatch M, as in Fig. 7. its movement, and the wheel, governor, and vane will be shown, as in Fig. 7, with the sleeve at the bottom of its travel, and the tank full of water with the float resting upon it.

As the water is exhausted from the tank the float follows the same, and, drawing upon the lever J, turns the rod R, and through it the The mill has now ceased IlO sleeve S, which disengages it from the catch The sleeve-rack has the smooth sides 3 3 between the racks, upon which the pawls ride when the sleeve is raised to keep them clear of the racks, and the sleeve may be made without the continuous shoulders along the rack.

I clairn- 1. In an automatic regulating attachment for windmills, the combination of the shiftingcord E and a vertical rod, R, having pivotbearings in the fixed frame, with a double racksleeve having a vertical movement upon said rod, a double pawl-lever having a fixed pivoted relation to said slide-rack, the pump-rod, and means, substantially asdescribed, for connecting said vertical rod with the float, wherer by the latter is caused to turn the said vertical rod on its pivotbearings to turn the double slide-rack out of engagement with its double operatingpawls, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. In an automatic regulating attachment for windmills, in combination with the shifting-rod and pump-plunger of the mill, the

square rod R of the regulating attachment, having a reacting spring at its end, sleeve S, sliding upon said rod and having'racks upon its sides, lever H, with pawls d d, and lever J, keyed to the rod R and connected by cord with the fioat in the tank, as shown and described.

3. The sleeve S, having racks upon its side and formed with shoulders 1 and 2 adjacent said racks, and a round portion, (1?, combined with the lever H, pawls d d, and lever J, operated by the float in the water-tank, whereby the said sleeve is prevented from turning, as described and shown. 7

4. In combination with the sleeve S, having racks upon each side, shoulders adjacent thereto, and a round or smooth portion at the top, the projection or stop m, formed at the bottom of the sleeve, and spring-catch M, adapted to engage said stop, as described and shown.

5. Thecombination,with the windmill wheel, vane, weighted governor, pumpingplunger, andtshifting-rod, of the automatic attachment composed of square rod R, adapted to turn in its bearings, sliding sleeve S, having racks upon its side, lever H, with pawls d d, lever J, reacting spring K, catch at M, cord j, and float J, all arranged as described and shown, whereby the wind wheel is automatically brought in or out of the wind by the rising or falling of the water in the tank.

In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 1

. MILTON OPPENHEIMER. \Vitnesses:

K. AtPENoE,

JAMES OPPENHEIMER. 

